March, 14, 2013 - A project developed by the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), with technical and financial support of Petrobras and the Gas Company of Santa Catarina State (SCGÁS), devised a natural gas solution for the thermoforming technology which partially replaces the use of electricity. A pilot run took place on March, 7th at NTS Machinery and Equipment, a partner company located in the city of Criciúma, where plastic cups were produced with energy from natural gas.

So far, the process only had used electricity. Now, up to 30% of the heating may be accomplished with a radiant panel powered by natural gas - which provides big economic advantages for industries. The prototype was tested in the facilities of NTS Machinery and Equipment, project partner and manufacturer of thermoforming equipment. The project is unique in this format in the world, and, after being patented, may offer gains in competitiveness for the industry. Called Termopor, the study has been conducted for three years with investments around R$ 1.7 million (U% 850,000).

"The industrial solution is unprecedented and paves the way for a new application of natural gas, contributing to diversify of the use of this environmentally friendly source of energy," explains SCGAS´ project manager, Engineer Jorge Gustavo Wanderley de Azevedo.

The director of NTS, Walter João Nuernberg, added: "The equipment is an evolution of a work that began more than three years ago, and will surely be a novelty in the market, bringing cost savings in production. As the energy bill is a very important component in the production cost of companies, this alternative can provide a big competitive advantages for industries. "

The event was attended by specialists from SCGÁS, representatives of NTS, Petrobras´ Technology Manager for Final Applications, Antonio Claudio Correa Meyer Sant'Anna, and the team of Federal University of Santa Catarina which worked with Professor Amir Antonio Oliveira Júnior, the project coordinator.

Source: Government of Santa Catarina State